Nathan’s Corner – The Reading Wife

Treacherous Hack

The Reading Wife — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 22:28:16 +0000

Treacherous Hack

Treacherous Hack is the latest novel to be checked off my to be read list. It is book number seven in the Detective Mike Stoneman series from Kevin G. Chapman.

I became an avid fan of Chapman’s Mike Stoneman series not long after I started my blog and I read Righteous Assassin, and I’ve been reading the series since then.

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Have you read Treacherous Hack? Come on in and let me tell you about it!

Treacherous Hack

About Treacherous Hack

From the award-winning Mike Stoneman Thriller series comes Book #7 — a gripping crime thriller set in the heart of a frozen New York City.

When electronics store owner Lou Palazzo is gunned down at a snowy Manhattan intersection, NYPD homicide detectives Mike Stoneman and Jason Dickson catch a case that’s anything but ordinary. Back at Lou’s shop, two Chinese nationals linked to a powerful Shanghai cybercrime ring are dead. The only clue? A missing laptop computer, possibly containing something Lou was willing to die to protect.

Meanwhile, NYU student Ryan Gelb is panicking. His hacked laptop held the stolen university data — data he quietly gave to his Uncle Lou. Now Lou is dead, and whoever killed him is coming for the file. . . and for Ryan.

Caught between international cybercriminals, New York mobsters, and the police, Ryan is desperate to recover the file and avoid being expelled — or worse, executed.

As Mike and Jason untangle a web of secrets, lies, and digital deception, they’re met with stonewalling from all sides: NYU won’t talk, witnesses are hiding the truth, and even their closest allies are keeping dangerous secrets.

With the body count rising and a deadly showdown looming, the race is on to solve the mystery, recover the missing file, and avoid turning Lower Manhattan into a bloodbath.

Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly, John Sandford, and David Baldacci, this high-stakes police procedural mixes hard-boiled action, cybercrime intrigue, and unforgettable characters in a page-turning thriller you won’t be able to put down.

Treacherous Hack

Treacherous Hack Genres

Mystery
Psychological Thriller
Police Procedural
Crime
Action and Adventure

Thoughts on Treacherous Hack

Treacherous Hack is the latest in the series of Mike Stoneman novels, and I’ve got to say, this is one of the most intense games of cat and mouse I’ve read in a long time. Author Kevin G Chapman takes characters and storylines from many of his previous novels and combines them all into an absolute thrill ride.

One thing I have to state right off is that I am an avid gamer, and I have been for nearly 40 years. So the fact that a good portion of Treacherous Hack’s plot revolves around video gaming made me smile every time it was brought up. I almost wish the fictitious game that’s central to this plot, Blades of Karma, was actually a real game that I could try for myself. It sounds like a lot of fun, and is exactly the type of game I like to play.

Another thing I really loved about Treacherous Hack was the fact that Jason’s wife Rachel was integral to the resolution of the story, rather than being a side character in Mike and Jason’s adventures. She works as a media reporter who’s been assigned to cover the very same murder investigation that her husband is working on. That conflict of interest made every interaction between them as interesting as the investigation itself.

On the other hand, though, the only way this plot can work is that the bad guys of this story are absolutely clueless when it comes to gaming, gaming culture, and everything associated with it. In the year 2025, that stretches credulity for me.

Even if one is not a gamer, I feel that anyone who lives in the modern world should be aware of the fact that video games exist and are a big part of many peoples’ lives. The story would have resolved much sooner if the bad guys were in any way literate in gaming, so every time the story showed them floundering around trying to find the hacked file, it felt like the book was being artificially lengthened.

Where the book Treacherous Hack could have used some extra padding though was in the last couple chapters. Those chapters felt more like cliff notes of what happened to the characters after the main story ended. There wasn’t anything organic about how the information was revealed to the reader. It reminded me of the end of movies like Animal House, where there were still shots of the main characters with a short description of what happened to them later.

These nitpicks aside, I am quite happy with Treacherous Hack, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves gaming and crime thrillers.

Carl the Sloth reading Treacherous Hack with me

Final Thoughts on Treacherous Hack

I’m calling Treacherous Hack a solid four star read. Despite my small nitpicking complaints about the book, it was still a really fun and enjoyable read for me. If you are a gamer, want to be a gamer, or know someone who is a gamer, this is the book for you.

I really don’t think you can go wrong with any of Kevin G. Chapman’s writing, and Treacherous Hack is certainly no exception to this. I really like how all of his stories are different. Yes, the Mike Stoneman series is about one detective, but there is no monotony in each story. They are always different, so I never find myself bored, and I appreciate that.

I have no idea if Kevin G. Chapman plans to continue the Mike Stoneman series or not, but I certainly hope he does, because I am such a fan.

Discussion

Have you read Treacherous Hack, or any other writing from author Kevin G. Chapman? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

About the Author

Treacherous Hack author Kevin G. Chapman

Kevin G. Chapman is, by day, a buttoned-down corporate labor & employment lawyer who works for a major US media company. He frequently speaks at Continuing Legal Education seminars, has taught legal writing to law students, and is the past chairperson of the Labor & Employment division of the global Association of Corporate Counsel.

When the work day is done, however, Kevin lives a much more exciting fictional life of crime and romance as the author of the award-winning Mike Stoneman Thriller series (and other novels, short stories, and screenplays).

When not busy writing, he enjoys playing tournament poker and cheering on his beloved New York Mets. Kevin loves talking fiction with readers, or talking about law, politics, or baseball.

Kevin G. Chapman, author of Treacherous Hack

Purchasing Treacherous Hack

If you are interested in buying the paperback version of Treacherous Hack, click here.
Click here for the Kindle version.
Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

Author Interview

I had the amazing opportunity to visit with Kevin G. Chapman about his writing, Treacherous Hack, and more. I am always grateful when an author is willing to talk to me about their books and writing. It is so much fun for me, like talking to my bestie about football or anything that lets me nerd out about something I enjoy.

Are you an avid video gamer yourself?

I am not a gamer, although I have spent some time with a controller in my hand. Mostly that was playing with my kids. However, my son, Connor, is an avid gamer – both card games and video games. I absorb some information from him by osmosis when he talks about his gaming, and he became my expert consultant on the gaming elements of Treacherous Hack. I admire video game designers who can create a universe with amazing characters and hazards for the players. It’s much like writing a fantasy novel.

Can you tell me what sort of book you’re working on next after Treacherous Hack?

My next book is a stand-alone thriller not connected to the Mike Stoneman series, but existing in the same universe. (A pair of homicide detectives from Mike’s precinct appear in the story, as they did in my stand-alone novel The Other Murder.

In the new book, the protagonist, Antonio, has moved into a very special low-income housing project building in Manhattan to help care for his aging grandmother. The Building is the pet project of a tech billionaire. It runs autonomously, with zero rent for the tenants, as long as they can prove their founder’s hypothesis: that a community of tenants who will all lose their apartments if the building fails its annual inspection can form a collective that will sustain itself long-term.

The tenants love it there, and fiercely guard the community. That includes enforcing the rules and preventing anyone from causing damage or endangering the community’s continued existence. It’s also a high-tech wonderland with automated systems, tight security, and even robot butlers who deliver packages and Grub Hub food to the residents. It’s called Utopia Tower for a reason.

But after Antonio moves in, an 18-year-old resident kills himself by leaping from a balcony. A week later, another young man is killed in a freak elevator accident. Antonio starts to wonder whether it’s just a coincidence that both dead youths were considered troublemakers and were facing potential banishment from the community.

When a third resident dies in bizarre circumstances – this time an older man, but also a rabble-rouser – Antonio seriously questions whether this is Utopia or something darker. The truth about Utopia Tower will surprise everyone involved, including the billionaire founder. Readers will try to solve the puzzle along with Antonio and won’t want to put down The Building.

The Building should be published in mid-2026.

As a New York resident, when you’re out running errands, do you look around the neighborhood and get ideas for what Mike and Jason will do in your next book(s)?

I currently live in Central New Jersey, but my wife and I lived in Manhattan for a total of 13 years – four while in college, and nine more before two kids and a dog compelled us to head for the suburbs. But we visit often, have many friends in the City, and still have many memories of our time on the Upper West Side.

All those memories and current experiences go directly into the books. Mike Stoneman lives in our old apartment building on 68^th Street and Broadway. The whole neighborhood is a character in the stories, along with the rest of the City.

For each book, I try to find new locations in which to set the action. In Treacherous Hack, it’s the Lower East Side, which is a little grittier and also closer to NYU, where my two college students live. The electronics & pawn shop where the action happens in the beginning (and end) of the story is a combination of stores I have visited over the years and the neighborhood around it is as much a character in the book as any of the humans.

Were any of the crimes detailed in your books inspired by real events?

I have in some of my books based the events off of real events and crime stories. In Mike Stoneman #2, for example (Deadly Enterprise), the main plot — involving a group of dirty cops who ran a drug and prostitution operation in Brooklyn – was based on a true story.

In Treacherous Hack, the Chinese cyber-criminals are not far removed from what’s happening around the world in the field of cyber-crime. The hack of sensitive information from a major New York university is based on a real event, which was the germ of the idea that resulted in the main plot for this book. The connection between the hack and the video game, however, was my own invention.

It is generally true that real events are far more bizarre and disturbing than anything your imagination can come up with, but spinning some reality-based events into an even more weird and wonderful plot is much fun!

If you weren’t an author, what would you like to do instead?

I’m a lawyer by profession, so being a writer is actually what I dream of doing full-time once I can retire from a job that actually makes real money. If I could be anything without worrying about paying the bills, I’d undoubtedly be a professional gambler. I play tournament poker and love sports and I’d love to live in Vegas and gamble for a living. But that’s a tough life!

Treacherous Hack author Kevin G. Chapman

How did you get started writing this crime-thriller series?

A long time ago, in the mid-90s, I wrote my first novel, which was a mystery starring a New York Private Investigator named Rick LaBlonde. It was fun and a good try at a first novel. But it was before Amazon and before self-publishing was really a thing.

I put it aside in about 1996 when I couldn’t get any interest from a publisher. Then, in 2003, my wife told me that for our 20^th wedding anniversary, she was going to pay to have the book published by a new company that had come into existence called Xlibris, which was a division of a big publishing house and which was an early “vanity publisher” that would essentially allow you to self-publish a book. In those days, you had to order a minimum number of copies for printing. It was a lovely present, and I still have a few copies of that first book left on my basement shelves.

But by then I had a new job and three kids and I didn’t do any more real writing for many years. Then in the mid-2000s (the aughts?) As my kids were getting older, I got the itch again and I started working on my version of The Great American Novel. It was very, very loosely based on some autobiographical events in my life, but was mostly pure fiction. It’s about a conservative Senator who must confront his past and make hard decisions about his future.

It’s about morality and politics and self-determination and identity. It’s a very serious book, but with some interesting characters and, I think, a compelling story line. It’s called A Legacy of One. It got some great reviews and some book award recognition, but didn’t sell. Part of that was my own lack of understanding about how to market a self-published book, but it’s also because the subject matter isn’t particularly popular unless you’re already a well-known author or celebrity. I spent 10 years off and on working on that and finally published it in 2016.

When the dust cleared from that project, I decided I still wanted to write, but I needed to get into something more fun, less serious, and hopefully something more marketable. Along the way, in 2012, I had written a short story for a writing contest where the subject had to be crime or law. I created a character named Mike Stoneman, an NYPD homicide detective. The short story, called Fool Me Twice won first prize in the contest.

So, in 2016, I decided to take that character from the short story and work him up into a full-blown crime fiction novel. The short story is now available for free on Amazon and other sales platforms (and on my website), and I included it as an extra feature at the end of the first book in the novel series, Righteous Assassin.

Can you describe your main characters?

Mike Stoneman is a veteran homicide detective in the New York Police Department. In addition to being the senior detective on his team, he also teaches classes at the police academy and separate night classes for cops studying for the detectives exam. His classes are on things like evidence handling, crime scene protocol, witness interrogation, and how to testify in court. He typically gets assigned to work with the new detectives, so he can show them the ropes.

He likes that work – teaching the younger cops and passing down his wisdom. He loves it when other cops come to him for his opinion on a tough case.

He’s also a Mets fan and likes classic rock music (both traits he shares with his creator). He wears plain slacks and sports jacket combos with non-descript ties and comfortable (old) shoes. He’s not flashy – he’s not trying to impress anyone.

He’s just turned 50 (in book #3) and is a little overweight, but trying to work out more and get into better shape, especially since he has become romantically involved with Michelle McNeill, the county medical examiner. (Spoiler! — By book #6, they are married.) But, he likes his pasta. He also appreciates a fine single-malt scotch.

Mike’s partner, Jason Dickson, is an African-American detective with a military background. He’s young and smooth and confident – but a little too cocky sometimes for Mike’s liking. There is some tension between them in book #1 (Righteous Assassin), but by book #2 (Deadly Enterprise) the partners fully have each other’s backs. In book #3 (Lethal Voyage), Jason takes more of the spotlight along with his girlfriend, Rachel Robinson.

Their romance, which was briefly mentioned in book #2, becomes the emotional core of book #3. Then, in book #4 (Fatal Infraction), Jason decides to propose. In book #5 (Perilous Gambit), Jason and Rachel travel to Las Vegas to get married, with Mike and Michelle along as their friends and witnesses. In book #6 (Double Takedown), Jason is studying for a masters degree and is thinking about changing careers, while he and Mike face a crisis of confidence about their police work.

The dynamics between Mike and Jason and their relationship, as well as the relationship between Mike and Michelle and between Jason and Rachel, are the heart of the stories.

What makes them original?

Mike and Jason are both complex and “real” people. Neither is a super hero who takes on multiple attackers barehanded or outthinks an evil mastermind, or smoothly seduces the female spy. They are vulnerable and awkward and emotional. Their comrades in the precinct are similarly “normal” people who banter and argue and yell. They are very much New York-based people and I try to give an authentic feel to their surroundings and stories. Mike’s status as the mentor and senior detective give him a unique persona and perspective.

The relationship between the middle-aged couple, Mike and Michelle, starts out slow and then settles into a very comfortable ongoing romance, but they deal with their own issues. Jason and Rachel are younger and the discussion about whether to get engaged is a big topic, along with what it means to be married to a cop – and what it means for Jason to be a cop and also a husband and father. They are murder mystery stories, but the characters draw the reader into a real world, not a big-budget movie fantasy.

What makes them tick?

Mike is a very by-the-book guy for the most part, but we learn in all the stories that he’s willing to bend the rules when he feels that it’s necessary or justified. He also is concerned about his relationship with Michelle and how to keep that going, without putting her in danger. He’s also (surprisingly) concerned about Jason and his future and well-being. So, he’s both a crusty jaded cop and a sensitive, concerned person. He’s also now concerned about his own mortality and his own future to a degree that’s new to him, after 24 years on the force.

Jason has a chip on his shoulder about being a Black detective. He demands respect, although he comes to understand that he has to earn it. He’s also facing a cross-roads in his life where he must decide if he wants to be a career cop. He’s not sure he wants to be like Mike at age 50 – single. But, he and Rachel are married, with one child (JJ) and another on the way. Does he want to continue his rather dangerous occupation? This question, as well as Rachel’s career aspirations, are central to the story in books 6 through 10 (yes, there will be ten).

What is their biggest fear?

Now, Mike’s biggest fear is that something bad will happen to Michelle because of one of his investigations. It nearly happened in “Righteous Assassin,” and it became an issue between them in “Deadly Enterprise.” Unfortunately for Mike, there is more peril ahead for Michelle.

Is there a consistent bad guy in the books?

No. Each book has its own villains and challenges. Not every situation is clear-cut, which makes it fun. There is no super-villain who keeps coming back to terrorize the City. Each story is very unique. There is an organized crime family in New York – the Gallata family – that shows up a few times (including in book #7).

And in Las Vegas there was a different organized crime boss named Freddy Costanzo, who has a link back to the Gallatas, but they are not consistent villains. Look for one villain in Treacherous Hack who might come back again in a later story.

Can the books be read in any order?

Yes. Each book is a fully stand-alone story. I’ve had many readers pick up the series at each point and nobody has had any problems enjoying the books separately without having read the earlier ones. But, there is some development of the characters going on, and there are references in each book to events that happened in the earlier books.

Some are necessary for later readers, and some are Easter eggs for readers who will get the “inside” jokes. There’s not much of that, but enough to make my audience happy. But they definitely can be read in any sequence. I would not recommend reading book #5 (Perilous Gambit) before reading the first four, since there will be some spoilers about what is going to happen to the main subplots.

What is Treacherous Hack about?

The story centers around a data hack engineered by a Chinese organized crime syndicate called the Corporate Dragons, which is a de facto arm of the Chinese government. They break into sensitive data inside the servers at New York University through a student, Ryan Gelb. Ryan is dating Star Albertson, Michelle McNeill’s niece. Ryan and his friend, Will, realized the hack was happening and disconnected Ryan’s computer before the hackers uploaded the critical files.

The file downloaded to Ryan’s computer by the hackers is encrypted, so Ryan takes it to his uncle, Lou Palazzo, who is a whiz at decrypting files – which was his primary value as a soldier in the Gallata organized crime family a decade earlier. Lou no longer works for the family, but he has connections, and arranged to sell the data file to an old colleague of his, Lloyd “The Cannon” Cannon. Uncle Lou didn’t know that his old Gallata friends were in business with the Corporate Dragons. When the Chinese boss finds out that Lou has the hacked data file, they want it back.

When the Chinese come for the file, Uncle Lou breaks out his trusty shotgun, but he ends up shot in a snowy intersection by his old friend, The Cannon. When Mike and Jason arrive on the scene, they have three bodies – Lou Palazzo and two unidentified Chinese goons. They think Lou killed the two Chinese agents, and a witness saw a large bald man leaving the scene of Lou’s execution. Mike and Jason must try to trace the killer, which seems unlikely if it was a mob hit.

Meanwhile, Ryan and his best friend, Will Scarano, need to hide the hack from NYU. They are terrified that the university will expel them, or at least revoke their scholarships, if it comes to light that Ryan and Will were responsible for the data hack. Their only chance to vindicate themselves is to recover the file, turn it over to the university, and prove that the hackers never uploaded the data – so the hack never actually happened.

There’s one problem – they don’t know where the file is. But Ryan gets a cryptic message from Uncle Lou, telling him that Lou stashed the file somewhere before he died so that only Ryan would be able to find it. Now, Ryan and Will need to find the file. But the Corporate Dragons are watching Ryan, and want to steal the file back.

Everyone in the story has information they don’t want to share. But keeping secrets could get them killed.

If you and your character met in real life, do you think you’d get on?

Oh yes! I have given Mike many character traits from my own backstory. We would definitely go to a Mets game together and then share a high-end single malt. Mike’s a little younger than I, but we are both Boomers and share a lot of common experiences. I’m not a cop, but that wouldn’t stop us from being friends.

Who would you like to see play them if your books were made into a film or TV show?

In the movie version of Righteous Assassin, if it were made soon, Michael B. Jordan would play Jason. For Mike, I think John C. Riley would be perfect. Maybe Brad Pitt. The casting director would have fun with the rest of the characters. I personally want Annaleigh Ashford to play Mrs. DiVito (only my biggest fans will understand that reference!)

How many books do you have in the series so far?

Books 1-7 are now published and available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook editions. I narrated the audiobooks myself. That makes it a 7-book series plus two stand-alone mysteries (Dead Winner and The Other Murder) in just about seven years. Not bad for somebody with a day job.

What’s in store for them next?

Book #8 in the series (tentatively titled Killer Pace will put Mike and Jason in the middle of another serial killer investigation, after several women runners are assaulted and strangled while running in New York parks. The killings put the running community on edge. Finding the killer is a priority for the Commissioner.

The FBI will send in a serial killer profiler – Special Agent Angela Manning (who my readers will remember from book #1, Righteous Assassin). But Angela has doubts about the direction of the investigation. Readers will have to guess who the killer is, while Mike and Jason keep up a Killer Pace.

Treacherous Hack author Kevin G. Chapman

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Treacherous Hack

Double Takedown

The Reading Wife — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 17:47:08 +0000

Double Takedown

Double Takedown is the latest novel to be checked off my to be read list. It is the sixth in the Mike Stoneman series from author Kevin G. Chapman. I’ve been an avid fan of this series since I first read Righteous Assassin a few years ago.

If you are a fan of police procedural and mystery novels, then you will love Double Takedown. I’ve enjoyed this series enough that it has become one of my goals to read everything that Kevin G. Chapman has written, and I’m making my way through that list now, and enjoying every minute of it.

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Do you ever find a favorite author and want to read everything from them? I have several on my list, and that is one of my big goals in the new year, is to check more of those off of my to be read list. Feel free to tell me about your favorite authors in the comments below. I would love to hear about who is at the top of your list.

Have you read Double Takedown? Come on in and let me tell you about it!

Double Takedown

About Double Takedown

What happens when a closed case breaks wide open?

NYPD homicide detectives Mike Stoneman and Jason Dickson are preparing to testify at a high-profile murder trial. They busted the Broadway director, who poisoned his leading actor to collect the insurance money on his doomed show. Or did he? The director claims the evidence was planted to frame him and that Mike and Jason developed tunnel vision. If they did, can they live with themselves, knowing that an innocent man might be convicted . . . and someone else got away with the perfect crime?

The prosecutor and their captain order them not to re-open the closed case. But Mike and Jason are plagued by doubts. When new evidence leads to even more questions, the detectives race to put the pieces together and uncover the whole truth. But their unauthorized investigation could lead to catastrophic collateral damage, could cost them their badges, and the director may still be guilty.

Fans of Michael Connelly and James Patterson will love the return of Mike Stoneman and his crew in this intricate police procedural mystery with twists you won’t see coming.

Double Takedown Genres

Mystery
Thriller
Adventure Fiction
Police Procedural

Thoughts on Double Takedown

The latest story involving detectives Mike Stoneman and Jason Dickson is an intricate weaving of two parallel, and sometimes interconnecting, plots. While they are wrapping up a case they thought was completed, they are simultaneously investigating a new murder case involving a TikTok influencer.

Perhaps it’s because I generally despise the whole TikTok influencer culture, but I found myself not caring one bit about the second murder victim and the various motives that the people in her life might have had to kill her. I was drawn more to the plight of the wrongfully-accused actor in the A plot. With that plot, I felt that the mystery of who actually killed the victim was more compelling.

I do have to take a few moments to acknowledge a new character called The Pharmacist, who was essential to the TikTok murder story. This character runs a series of YouTube videos where he recommends various combinations of illicit drugs to users, and will even write prescriptions for those who want them.

One thing I have praised about the Stoneman books is their realism, and this Pharmacist character breaks that mold in a quite obvious way. I personally can’t see how this sort of profession would even be remotely legal, and the fact that this person’s show wasn’t immediately shut down by YouTube’s algorithm pulled me out of the story every time he showed up.

With two parallel plots, it was sometimes hard to keep track of who were the victims, suspects, accomplices, and/or perpetrators of each crime. And ultimately, the resolution to both plots felt unsatisfying to me. But the execution of said resolution was well-done, and the final action sequence was fun to read.

However, what I do love about the Stoneman books is how the personal lives of Mike and Jason are fully fleshed out. These stories aren’t just about chasing down the bad guys; we see little romantic moments between the cops and their partners, or dinners with their extended families, or just little vignettes of Jason’s young son growing up. These help make the cops feel like real people, not just caricatures.

It took me until this book, the sixth in the Stoneman series, to notice a pattern involving the introduction of Stoneman’s and Dickson’s police chief, Sullivan. Whenever that character first appears in each book, Chapman writes the sentence “Like every other police officer in history named Sullivan, he was known as ‘Sully.’” That sentence makes me grin every time I come across it.

Final Thoughts on Double Takedown

It can be easy for police procedural stories to fall into lazy storytelling and cliches (see many of the hundreds of Law and Order episodes for some examples), but author Kevin G Chapman avoids that with every entry in his Mike Stoneman series so far. I always love diving back in to see what Stoneman and Dickson will be up to next.

I’m calling Double Takedown a 4 star read. I’ve settled on a four star because I can’t rate it higher or lower. I can’t call it a three star because that would mean I’ve already forgotten it, which isn’t the case. But Double Takedown is not a book I’ll read a second time, which is one of my big criteria for a five star read. Therefore I’ve settled on four stars.

It wasn’t my favorite in the Mike Stoneman series, but that doesn’t mean it is a bad book. It simply means that I’ve read enough of Kevin G. Chapman’s writing to have favorites and compare those to each new one.

I’m about to start reading book number seven in the series, and I have to admit that I really hope Kevin G. Chapman continues the Mike Stoneman series, because I’ve really enjoyed it so far. Somehow it is like going to visit an old friend.

Discussion

Have you read Double Takedown or any other writing from author Kevin G. Chapman? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

About the Author

Kevin G. Chapman, author of Double Takedown

When not busy writing, he enjoys playing tournament poker and cheering on his beloved New York Mets. Kevin loves talking fiction with readers, or talking about law, politics, or baseball.

Double Takedown author Kevin G. Chapman

Purchasing Double Takedown

If you are interested in buying the paperback version of Double Takedown, click here.
For the hardcover version, click here.
Click here for the Kindle version.
Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

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Double Takedown

The Return of the King

The Reading Wife — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 19:22:18 +0000

The Return of the King

The Return of the King is the latest novel to be checked off my to be read list. It is the third book in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings series.

This is my husband Nathan’s favorite series and has been for longer than I can remember. I have no idea why I’ve never read the series before, but this was a fun one for me. Looking back, I am loving reading more of his favorite books and actively starting to take an interest.

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I’ll be the first to raise my hand and gladly admit that I’m not normally a fantasy genre lover. It has never been a favorite of mine. But it is for my husband. He gets lost in those books, and the world that the author has created. I’m more straightforward. I need a good plot, but minimal characters.

Coming together to read and listen to this series was a new one, as we rarely mix books. I read mine, he reads his, and we both talk about them, but never read the other. Now that we have, I find myself wanting to do it more.

Have you read The Return of the King? Come on in and let me tell you about it!

The Return of the King

About The Return of the King

The third part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic adventure THE LORD OF THE RINGS .

The Dark Lord has risen, and as he unleashes hordes of Orcs to conquer all Middle-earth, Frodo and Sam struggle deep into his realm in Mordor.

To defeat Sauron, the One Ring must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. But the way is impossibly hard, and Frodo is weakening. The Ring corrupts all who bear it and Frodo’s time is running out.

Will Sam and Frodo succeed, or will the Dark Lord rule Middle-earth once more?

Thoughts on The Return of the King

I have become fully invested in this series at this point, and I need to see it through to the end. I’m actually amazed at how driven I am to finish it. This is the sign of a good quality story, in my opinion. Where I don’t necessarily want it to end, but I am completely driven to finish it at the same time.

I also found myself sad at the end. I’m amazed by the way Tolkien ended it. You can tell he was a soldier, and this felt like it came from his own experiences in war. While he (or in this case Frodo and Sam) were off having adventures, fighting, and trying to stay alive through it all, the world still goes on like normal. Things change, people change and grow, the world never stops moving. When they return, they are amazed at how much they have also changed. It isn’t as simple as going back to life as they knew it.

As I look back on reading and listening to this series, I’m surprised that I loved it so much, and I’m actually sad to see it come to an end. I wanted more hobbits, more songs from Tom Bombadil, more adventures with Frodo and Sam, more everything. J.R.R. Tolkien took me into a world I didn’t realize I wanted to be a part of, and Andy Serkis brought it to life through narrating it.

This was a fun exercise in pushing myself outside my comfort zone to try something my husband loves, and I’m so glad I did. Normally I just sit back and hand him fantasy novels to read, or just leave him to what he loves, and I stick to what I enjoy, and we live in our own separate genres. But this one brought us together, and I’m really glad it did.

From Nathan

The Return of the King is the third and final entry in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. After the events of the previous novel, The Two Towers, many of the characters are now separated from each other. Tolkien masterfully juggles these disparate narratives and brings them all together in a way that feels natural and earned.

Despite the fact that The Two Towers ended in a cliffhanger with Frodo being captured by some of Sauron’s Orcs, we don’t get a resolution to that story until the second half of The Return of the King. As was the case in the previous novel, Return’s first half is dedicated to the adventures of Gandalf and Aragorn as they try to save the city of Minas Tirith from imminent attack by Sauron’s army.

The assault on Minas Tirith is the highlight of The Return of the King, and in any other book, it would be at the climax of the story rather than in the middle. But Tolkien’s genius here shows that it’s not always flashy swords and bright armor and heroic acts of valor that win the day; it’s often the smallest things done by the meekest of people that really matter.

And that’s where Frodo and Sam come in. For although Frodo was kidnapped by Orcs and taken away to be tortured, Sam doesn’t hesitate to try to rescue his master, alone, and lightly armed. And with that task accomplished, it’s up to them to find their way across the barren wasteland of Mordor to Mount Doom, the only place where the Ring can be destroyed, and the power of Sauron broken forever.

It’s not Tolkien’s style to end the story with “Happily Ever After,” and so although they are ultimately triumphant, success comes with a price. In a denouement that echoes the feelings of soldiers coming home from World War I, Frodo can no longer find comfort in his homeland. And so it is quite appropriate that The Return of the King ends on a rather melancholy note.

The Return of the King

Final Thoughts on The Return of the King

When writing the final book of a series, most authors struggle to stick to the landing. Yet Tolkien seemingly has no trouble juggling all the separate storylines and putting them back together again. The Lord of the Rings truly is a triumph in the fantasy genre, as well as in literature in general.

Nathan and I are both calling The Return of the King a five star read. A big part of a five star read for me is that I want to read it again, and Nathan reads this series about once a year.

If you aren’t normally a fantasy book lover, try the audiobook version, narrated by Andy Serkis. It really made this series for me, and I enjoyed it so much. I’m not sure I would have enjoyed this the same way if I had tried to read the actual book. But listening made all the difference for me. It may do the same for you, and I encourage you to give it a try.

The Return of the King

Discussion

Have you read The Return of the King or any other writing from J.R.R. Tolkien? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

About the Author

The Return of the King author J.R.R. Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien was born on 3rd January 1892. After serving in the First World War, he became best known for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, selling 150 million copies in more than 40 languages worldwide. Awarded the CBE and an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Oxford University, he died in 1973 at the age of 81.

J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Return of the King

Purchasing The Return of the King

If you are interested in buying the paperback version of The Return of the King, click here.
For the hardcover version, click here.
For the audiobook, click here.
Click here for the Kindle version.
Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

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The Return of the King

The Two Towers

The Reading Wife — Thu, 08 May 2025 17:30:30 +0000

The Two Towers

The Two Towers is the latest novel to be checked off my to be read list. It is the second book in J.R.R. Tolkien’s three part The Lord of the Rings books.

This is my husband’s favorite series, and has since become a favorite of mine as well. This is a series where the more I read, the more I want to keep reading and finding out about everyone’s adventures. It is also likely that I will go back and read them a second time. Which says a lot for me.

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The Two Towers

About The Two Towers

The Fellowship is scattered. Some prepare for war against the Dark Lord. Some fight against the treachery of the corrupt wizard Saruman. Only Frodo and Sam are left to take the accursed Ring to be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom.

Mount Doom lies in the very heart of the Dark Lord’s realm. Their only guide on the perilous journey is Gollum, a deceitful and obsessive creature who once possessed the Ring and longs to wield its power once again.

As dark forces assemble, the fate of Middle-earth rests with two lonely hobbits – but is Gollum leading them to their deaths?

Frodo and the Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom.

Now they continue their journey alone down the great River Anduin—alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.

Thoughts on The Two Towers

Nathan and I have been listening to this series via audiobook, which is narrated by Andy Serkis. I’ve come to the conclusion that Andy Serkis could read the ingredient list on a shampoo bottle, and I would gobble it all up and listen repeatedly, like it was gold. I personally think he should narrate every audiobook ever created. But, that is what a great narrator does. They bring the book to life.

This has long been a favorite series for Nathan. I’ve never been much of a fantasy genre person. I’ve often found them too long, too hard to follow, and way too many characters. But given this is Nathan’s favorite series, I decided to give it a go, and try it out. I’ve seen the movies with him more than once, and he always says the books are better. Which I’ve come to agree with.

This is also the book where we really start to see Gollum, and Andy Serkis’ narration shines even more. The funny thing for me is that the more I listen to this book, the more I want to continue. Which is the sign of a great author, where I am driven to keep going. I am not even going to lie when I say that this surprised me. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did.

I am so very glad I decided to read and listen to these books with Nathan. It was a fun thing to do together, which I think couples should do more often. Try out a hobby, a book, or something else your spouse enjoys that you don’t think you will like. You may very well be surprised.

From Nathan

The second entry in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Two Towers, is a curiously-named book. There are certainly more than just two towers presented here, any of which could qualify as the titular ones. And while that answer is never outright stated in the book, it is still a thrilling continuation of The Fellowship of the Ring.

Readers will immediately notice that The Two Towers is split in two. The first half of the story details the journey of Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli in the horse country of Rohan, which has been under attack by the dark wizard Saruman. The second half tells about where Frodo and Sam went after they decided to leave the fellowship behind…and a slinking creature named Gollum is following them.

The split narrative is a curious decision by Tolkien, but it’s quite effective here. The characters in each half have no idea what the others are doing, which means the reader is similarly in the dark. Because of the way these narratives are structured, you could read the second half first without being lost.

The first half is probably my favorite section of the whole trilogy. While some chapters drag on interminably (the Treebeard chapter is the biggest culprit), they all flow so well together. Aragorn and his companions, while searching for the kidnapped Merry and Pippin, suddenly find themselves thrust into an ongoing war between Rohan and Saruman. And it is during this story that we finally get the first large-scale battle of the series.

Frodo’s story, on the other hand, is much quieter. Much of his story here is literally him, Sam, and Gollum walking through the wilderness on their quest to destroy the Ring in Sauron’s domain of Mordor. Tolkien doesn’t skimp on the descriptions of all the fantastic locations that they pass through. There’s even one whole chapter dedicated to Sam trying to cook a delicious rabbit dinner!

Gollum is an ever-treacherous companion for Frodo and Sam. While he’s invaluable in leading them to Mordor’s gates, he actually wants the Ring for himself. He will stop at nothing to reacquire his “Precious,” including leading them to an alternate route into Mordor where, he hopes, he can lead the hobbits into a trap.

The Two Towers

Final Thoughts on The Two Towers

The Two Towers is a wonderful continuation of the rich tapestry that is The Lord of the Rings. And the fact that it ends in a cliffhanger leaves the reader wanting more immediately.

Nathan and I are both calling The Two Towers a five star read. Nathan always has, and I agree with him. One of my criteria for five star reads is if I will read it again, and in this case, the answer is, absolutely. I will read this series again later down the road because I’ve enjoyed it so much.

The Two Towers

Discussion

Have you read The Two Towers or any other writing from J.R.R. Tolkien? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

About the Author

The Two Towers author J.R.R. Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Two Towers

Purchasing The Two Towers

If you are interested in buying the paperback version of The Two Towers, click here.
For the hardcover version, click here.
For the audiobook version, click here.
Click here for the Kindle version.
Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

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The Two Towers

The Fellowship of the Ring

The Reading Wife — Tue, 06 May 2025 18:49:38 +0000

The Fellowship of the Ring

The Fellowship of the Ring is book one in a series of three from J.R.R. Tolkien. It is the latest novel to be checked off my constantly growing to be read list. Which I fear I may never check everything off of. But it is certainly fun to try!

I always enjoy a great book, and this is a good one. It has been so much fun to read and listen to these with my husband, Nathan. Do you ever read books that your significant other loves? I think this is something everyone should do.

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Have you read The Fellowship of the Ring? Come on in and let me tell you about it!

The Fellowship of the Ring

About The Fellowship of the Ring

Begin your journey into Middle-earth…

The inspiration for the upcoming original series on Prime Video, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

The Fellowship of the Ring is the first part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic adventure The Lord of the Rings.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power—the means by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the One Ring—the ring that rules them all—which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins.

In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.

Thoughts on The Fellowship of the Ring

My husband, Nathan, is an avid reader and has always owned The Lord of the Rings books, and had them long before we were married. But I had never read them myself until now. I’m not entirely sure why I’ve never picked these books up and read them, as they’ve literally always been available to me.

I decided to listen to this book in audiobook format, which I don’t normally do. But Andy Serkis, the voice of Gollum in the movies, narrates it. Andy Serkis also had a role in the show Andor, a Star Wars spinoff. I could listen to Andy Serkis talk all day long, and it made listening to the books really enjoyable for me, and much better than just reading them alone.

If you are not normally a fantasy book genre lover, I highly recommend listening to these in audiobook format. It is a ton of fun to listen to, and actually helped me pay more attention and follow along.

What I love about this is that I could listen to the books and then Nathan would play a scene from the movies along with it, so I could follow along. We ended up watching the movies again after we had read the books as well. I must admit that I liked the books so much more than the movies because the movies left out some really fun parts, in my opinion. But then again, those parts didn’t add anything to the movies, it was more random parts. But I loved those too.

From Nathan

I first read The Lord of the Rings when I was 11 or 12. And in the intervening 30 years, I’ve probably re-read the books at least once a year. Their influence on fantasy culture cannot be understated. Nearly every modern fantasy story borrows at least some elements from Tolkien. I could go on and on about how much I love the world of Middle-earth, but today we will just talk about the first novel: The Fellowship of the Ring.

If you’ve read The Hobbit, Fellowship begins with a nearly identical plot structure. There are some hobbits living in a sleepy area of Middle-earth called The Shire, quite oblivious to the goings-on elsewhere in the world. The hobbits are content to live their own simple lives. But then the wizard Gandalf comes in and sets our protagonists off on a grand adventure for which they are quite unprepared.

The main character, Frodo Baggins, is the nephew of The Hobbit’s protagonist, Bilbo. On the occasion of Bilbo’s birthday party, Bilbo decides he’s had enough of the Shire, and leaves all of his possessions to Frodo: his house, his money, and a small golden Ring that Bilbo acquired on his previous adventure.

This Ring, it turns out, is the prized possession of the Dark Lord Sauron, although Bilbo was quite unaware of it. And agents of the dark lord are veering in on the Shire, eager to take back their master’s prize, and kill anyone who stands in their way. Frodo has no choice: he too has to leave the Shire and keep the Ring out of the enemy’s grasp.

Through many adventures and narrow escapes, Frodo and his companions’ first taste of the outside world is fraught with peril. But somehow they all persevere, bringing the reader along one of the most thrilling adventures in all of fiction.

The Fellowship of the Ring

Final Thoughts on The Fellowship of the Ring

Tolkien’s skill with language paints a vivid picture of Middle-earth, often spending entire paragraphs just describing a forest or a mountain or a river. I had no trouble visualizing every location that our heroes visited, even before Peter Jackson’s trilogy of movies were made.

Any reader of fantasy novels, or any author aspiring to write their own fantasy, must begin with The Fellowship of the RIng. It is the very foundation of the genre. If any book deserves the title of “must read,” it is this.

We are both calling The Fellowship of the Ring a five star read. Now coming from Nathan, this isn’t surprising. Coming from me, I’m actually surprised. But Tolkien did an amazing job at creating a memorable fantasy world and it kept me wanting to learn more about it. Andy Serkis did an amazing job as well in bringing every single character to life in narrating these books. To say that I am impressed by both is an understatement.

The Fellowship of the Ring

Discussion

Have you read The Fellowship of the Ring yourself yet? Are you a fan of the series? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

About the Author

The Fellowship of the Ring author J.R.R. Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Fellowship of the Ring

Purchasing The Fellowship of the Ring

If you are interested in buying the paperback version of The Fellowship of the Ring, click here.
For the hardcover version, click here.
For the audiobook version, click here.
Click here for the Kindle version.
Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

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The Fellowship of the Ring

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The Reading Wife — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 22:27:10 +0000

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is book number three in a seven part series from author J.K. Rowling. This is a series that I have been reading since it was originally released when I was in college.

If you haven’t read the books, I highly recommend you do. Because there is so much more information than in the movies that make it better.

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

About Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

For twelve long years, the dread fortress of Azkaban held an infamous prisoner named Sirius Black. Convicted of killing thirteen people with a single curse, he was said to be the heir apparent to the Dark Lord, Voldemort.Now he has escaped, leaving only two clues as to where he might be headed:

Harry Potter’s defeat of You-Know-Who was Black’s downfall as well. And the Azkaban guards heard Black muttering in his sleep, “He’s at Hogwarts . . . he’s at Hogwarts.”Harry Potter isn’t safe, not even within the walls of his magical school, surrounded by his friends. Because on top of it all, there may well be a traitor in their midst.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Thoughts on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

If the first two books in the Harry Potter series were JK Rowling’s warm up laps, The Prisoner of Azkaban is her stomping on the gas pedal and jumping out to a commanding lead.

After storming out of his aunt and uncle’s house after a magical accident, Harry Potter suddenly finds himself alone, friendless, and helpless. And his isolation couldn’t have come at a worse time. The notorious murderer, Sirius Black, a recent escapee from the wizard prison of Azkaban, is on the move, and is evidently coming after Harry.

Harry’s isolation doesn’t last long, but the threat of Sirius Black looms over the entirety of the story, and nearly everyone that Harry encounters for the remainder of the story are understandably rattled by Black’s escape from a seemingly impregnable prison.

From the very beginning of the third entry in this series, it is apparent that JK Rowling has decided to age up the series’ themes as her protagonists also age. Many authors in this genre are reluctant to give their characters more mature obstacles, but Rowling tackles that challenge head-on.

While Harry still has to handle the everyday challenges of schoolwork and growing up in a magical world, here he also has to deal with betrayal, murder, and the often earth-shattering realization that some things aren’t always as they seem. As if that weren’t enough for a thirteen-year-old, he also has to contend with dementors, ethereal demonic creatures who can drain you of your happiness and literally suck the soul out of your body.

The themes of this book aren’t the only things that have matured; JK Rowling has also matured as an author, as I alluded to earlier. The first two Harry Potter books were relatively straightforward stories. Here, she deftly handles four distinct plotlines, often interweaving in organic ways, all coming together in an unexpected way in a climax that is so impressive, you have to experience it twice (literally).

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Final Thoughts on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite book in the Harry Potter series. Not coincidentally, it is also my favorite movie of the series. I can’t praise it enough. Every time I read it, I’m disappointed when I reach the end, because I want to keep reading more of what I consider to be JK Rowling’s best work.

Be prepared to love Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban! I call this one five stars.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Discussion

Have you read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban or any other writing from author J.K. Rowling? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

About the Author

J.K. Rowling, author of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

J.K. Rowling is the author of the enduringly popular, era-defining Harry Potter book series, as well as several stand-alone novels for adults and children, and a bestselling crime fiction series written under the pen name Robert Galbraith.

The Harry Potter books have now sold over 600 million copies worldwide, been translated into 85 languages and made into eight blockbuster films. They continue to be discovered and loved by new generations of readers.

Alongside the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling also wrote three short companion volumes for charity: Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, in aid of Comic Relief, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard, in aid of her international children’s charity, Lumos. The companion books and original series are all available as audiobooks.

In 2016, J.K. Rowling collaborated with playwright Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany to continue Harry’s story in a stage play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which opened in London, and is now thrilling audiences on four continents. The script book was published to mark the plays opening in 2016 and instantly topped the bestseller lists.

In the same year, she made her debut as a screenwriter with the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Inspired by the original companion volume, it was the first in a series of new adventures featuring wizarding world magizoologist Newt Scamander. The second, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, was released in 2018 and the third, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore was released in 2022.

The screenplays were published to coincide with each film’s release: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – The Original Screenplay (2016), Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald – The Original Screenplay (2018) and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore – The Complete Screenplay (2022).

Fans of Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter can find out more at www.wizardingworld.com.

J.K. Rowling’s fairy tale for younger children, The Ickabog, was serialised for free online for children during the Covid-19 pandemic in the summer of 2020 and is now published as a book illustrated by children, with her royalties going to her charitable trust, Volant, to benefit charities helping alleviate social deprivation and assist vulnerable groups, particularly women and children.

Her latest children’s novel The Christmas Pig, published in 2021, is a standalone adventure story about a boy’s love for his most treasured thing and how far he will go to find it.

J.K. Rowling also writes novels for adults. The Casual Vacancy was published in 2012 and adapted for television in 2015. Under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, she is the author of the highly acclaimed ‘Strike’ crime series, featuring private detective Cormoran Strike and his partner Robin Ellacott. The first of these, The Cuckoo’s Calling, was published to critical acclaim in 2013, at first without its author’s true identity being known. The Silkworm followed in 2014, Career of Evil in 2015, Lethal White in 2018, Troubled Blood in 2020 and The Ink Black Heart in 2022. The series has also been adapted for television by the BBC and HBO.

J.K. Rowling’s 2008 Harvard Commencement speech was published in 2015 as an illustrated book, Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination, sold in aid of Lumos and university-wide financial aid at Harvard.

As well as receiving an OBE and Companion of Honour for services to children’s literature, J.K. Rowling has received many other awards and honors, including France’s Legion d’Honneur, Spain’s Prince of Asturias Award and Denmark’s Hans Christian Andersen Award.

J.K. Rowling supports a number of causes through her charitable trust, Volant. She is also the founder and president of Lumos, an international children’s charity fighting for every child’s right to a family by transforming care systems around the world.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban author J.K. Rowling

Purchasing Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

If you are interested in buying the paperback version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, click here.
Click here for the Kindle version.
Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The Reading Wife — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 20:47:39 +0000

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the latest novel to be checked off my to be read list. This is book two in a seven part series. This is a book series that I’ve read multiple times, and I never get tired of it. Originally published in 1998, this is a series that has withstood the test of time and spanned multiple generations of readers along the way.

What is a series that you’ve read multiple times and love every single time? I would love to hear about your favorite series in the comments! Feel free to tell me all about them when you reach the end of this review.

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

About Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

There is a plot, Harry Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year.’

Harry Potter’s summer has included the worst birthday ever, doomy warnings from a house-elf called Dobby, and rescue from the Dursleys by his friend Ron Weasley in a magical flying car! Back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his second year, Harry hears strange whispers echo through empty corridors – and then the attacks start. Students are found as though turned to stone… Dobby’s sinister predictions seem to be coming true.

Having become classics of our time, the Harry Potter books never fail to bring comfort and escapism. With their message of hope, belonging and the enduring power of truth and love, the story of the Boy Who Lived continues to delight generations of new readers.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Thoughts on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Hogwarts is a magical school, located in a magical castle, filled with hundreds of magic users, and is, naturally, full of unimaginable magical wonders, some of which have been hidden for centuries. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets delves deep into the mysteries of Hogwarts, and who knows what Harry might find there?

After enduring a long and dreadful non-magical summer with his aunt and uncle, Harry Potter finally returns to Hogwarts, the only place that has ever felt like home to him. But it doesn’t take long for him to realize that things aren’t as cozy at Hogwarts as he’d like. Students are being attacked regularly, with no sign of the culprit.

Even worse, Harry finds a diary which shows that similar attacks have previously happened in Hogwarts, some fifty years earlier. Could the same culprit be back again, unleashing the horrors of the so-called Chamber of Secrets on a new generation of students? Or perhaps is it a current student who discovered the chamber and is terrorizing his or her fellow classmates?

The mysteries keep piling on, one after another, and as always it’s up to Harry to figure things out. As in the previous book, Harry Potter must rely on his two close friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. But when evidence piles up that Harry is potentially behind the attacks, even his friends might not be enough to see him through. And what will happen when one of his friends is also a victim of the mysterious attacks?

But there’s more than just seemingly invisible monsters to contend with. There’s a new teacher at Hogwarts, a pompous braggart by the name of Gilderoy Lockhart, whose famed exploits have been made famous…in the novels he’s written about himself. Is Lockhart more than he seems? Or is he, as Harry suspects, significantly less?

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Final Thoughts on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a worthy second entry in the Harry Potter series. Some might say that the plot of this book is too similar to that of the Sorcerer’s Stone, but the widening scope of the wizarding world that is revealed here makes Chamber of Secrets different enough from its predecessor.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Discussion

Have you read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets or any other writing from author J.K. Rowling? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! Also, if there is a series that you absolutely love, tell me about it too! I want to know what you love reading and can read over and over again. Tell me about books that keep you excited to read.

About the Author

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets author J.K. Rowling

Her latest children’s novel The Christmas Pig, published in 2021, is a standalone adventure story about a boy’s love for his most treasured thing and how far he will go to find it.

As well as receiving an OBE and Companion of Honour for services to children’s literature, J.K. Rowling has received many other awards and honours, including France’s Legion d’Honneur, Spain’s Prince of Asturias Award and Denmark’s Hans Christian Andersen Award.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets author J.K. Rowling

Purchasing Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

If you are interested in buying the paperback version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, click here.
For the hardcover version, click here.
Click here for the Kindle version.
Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

The Reading Wife — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 20:48:42 +0000

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the latest novel to be checked off my to be read list. This is book one in a seven part series. This is a series that I have read multiple times over the years since it was originally released, and it has withstood the test of time.

Is there a series that you can read over and over again? Tell me about it!

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

About Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter ‘H’.

Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry’s eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Thoughts on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

It’s October 2001. I’m a new freshman at Southern Oregon University, and a bunch of my friends are buzzing about a new movie that’s coming out soon. It’s a movie about a boy who learns he has magical powers and is taken to a far away school where he can learn more about his new abilities.

Their description of the movie didn’t particularly interest me at the time, so I put this new movie out of my mind. However, my university had also just formed a book club where anyone who was interested could get a free copy of the book. All my friends joined in, and, not wanting to be left out, I signed up too. I soon became the owner of a brand new copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

It goes without saying that I read through my copy in a matter of hours. Yes, it’s a short book, the shortest of all of the Harry Potter series, but I was captivated by the magical world that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone revealed. And once I was finished, there was the aforementioned movie to look forward to (which I absolutely loved).

The description that my friends gave to me doesn’t do the story justice by a long shot, and I wasn’t prepared for that. It’s not just a story of good versus evil with magical powers and strange creatures thrown in. I’ve seen that kind of story dozens of times before. Good versus evil is certainly present, and at times it is thrust to the center of the narrative, but that’s only part of what the Harry Potter series is about.

At its core, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is about friendship, bravery, and learning how to face your problems head-on, even when you’d rather not. As Albus Dumbledore says at one point, “It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends.”

And Harry Potter has no lack of friends at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Almost immediately, he befriends two fellow students: Ron Weasley, the youngest son of a proud wizarding family who is desperate to stand out among his five older brothers. And there’s also Hermione Granger, a brilliant girl who was born to non-magical parents (called Muggles in this series). And there’s the lovable oaf Hagrid, who introduces Harry to the previously unknown magical world, and is always a source of advice and kindness whenever Harry is feeling down.

The enormous cast of characters is at times hard to keep track of, but as the narrative of the story is almost exclusively told from Harry’s point of view, that helps keep things manageable.

The book certainly is not flawless. At times, J.K. Rowling’s writing sounds like a poor imitation of Roald Dahl’s style; it took a little while before Rowling found her own unique voice. And there are some plot points that are resolved too conveniently, even for a world where magical events are commonplace.

Nevertheless, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is a wonderful first entry into the world of magic, and there are six more books to go!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Final Thoughts on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

The Harry Potter series has been a staple of teen fiction for decades now. Its impact on our world is incalculable, and the adventures of Harry Potter and his friends are sure to entertain people for many more decades to come.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Discussion

Have you read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone or any other writing from author J.K. Rowling? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

About the Author

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone author J.K. Rowling

Her latest children’s novel The Christmas Pig, published in 2021, is a standalone adventure story about a boy’s love for his most treasured thing and how far he will go to find it.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone author J.K. Rowling

Purchasing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

If you are interested in buying the hardcover version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, click here.
For the paperback version, click here.
Click here for the Kindle version.
Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Fool Me Twice

The Reading Wife — Thu, 12 May 2022 08:26:04 +0000

Fool Me Twice

Fool Me Twice from author Kevin G. Chapman is my latest short story to be crossed off the to be read list. This is the very beginning of the Mike Stoneman series that I have reviewed before.

It was a lot of fun to go back and read the story that started that, as I loved the Mike Stoneman series, and highly recommend them. Because of the Mike Stoneman series, Kevin G. Chapman has become a frequently talked about author here at The Reading Wife.

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Have you read Fool Me Twice? Come on in and let me tell you about it!

About Fool Me Twice

A wealthy but demanding father is dead in his own swimming pool. NYPD homicide detective Mike Stoneman is called in to investigate and gets the story from the man’s spoiled teenage socialite daughter. She says the accident happened after he hit her. The guy had a history, and there were a variety of drugs in his system, along with alcohol. Poor little rich girl, right?

Years later, when the same woman’s abusive boyfriend bloodies up the same pool, Mike is called in again. Is the sexy internet darling extremely unlucky — or a killer? This short story is the first appearance of detective Mike Stoneman. Fool Me Twice won first prize in a 2012 short story writing contest, and was later adapted into the award-winning Mike Stoneman Thriller series. Come meet Mike, then continue reading the series.

Thoughts on Fool Me Twice

After reading the five main books in the Stoneman series, I decided it was time to go back and read Kevin G Chapman’s first attempt at building his homicide detective franchise. Fool Me Twice is a short story that can be read in less than twenty minutes.

As the title would suggest, Fool Me Twice features the same young woman implicated in multiple deaths under similar circumstances, and Stoneman is called to investigate each one.

Being Chapman’s first book, the writing is understandably less polished than his more lengthy stories. There’s no real mystery to be solved, or significant obstacles to overcome. The dialog isn’t nearly as witty or profound as some of his later books.

The plot is relatively straightforward, and doesn’t feature any new insights into the character of Stoneman, nor his methods of investigation. But as a first entry into the series, it is intriguing enough for new readers to gain an understanding of how Stoneman operates.

Final Thoughts on Fool Me Twice

Given that this is a short story, I can’t complain too loudly that the story ends rather abruptly, with no real resolution to the plot.

Fool Me Twice is an appealing appetizer to digest before tackling the main course of the Stoneman series. As short stories go, Fool Me Twice does an adequate job at introducing the characters, the situation they’re in, and the brief struggles they have to overcome.

Discussion

Have you read Fool Me Twice or any other writing from Kevin G. Chapman? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

About the Author

Fool Me Twice author Kevin G. Chapman

When not busy writing, he enjoys playing tournament poker and cheering on his beloved New York Mets. Kevin loves talking fiction with readers, or talking about law, politics, or baseball.

Fool Me Twice author Kevin G. Chapman

Purchasing Fool Me Twice

If you are interested in buying the Kindle version of Fool Me Twice, click here.
Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

More From Kevin G. Chapman

Did you enjoy my review of Fool Me Twice? Need another Kevin G. Chapman novel to read? Here are my favorites!

Righteous Assassin

Deadly Enterprise

Lethal Voyage

Fatal Infraction

Perilous Gambit

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Fool Me Twice

Alternative Ulster Noir

The Reading Wife — Sat, 23 Apr 2022 11:14:46 +0000

Alternative Ulster Noir

Alternative Ulster Noir is a collection of short stories that I came across recently, and it caught my attention.

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Have you read Alternative Ulster Noir? Come on in and let me tell you about it!

Alternative Ulster Noir

About Alternative Ulster Noir

… The Cops Are Comin’

A collection of seven new Northern Irish crime short stories inspired by NI music.

Enjoy a diverse anthology of work from some of the best Northern Irish thriller writers featuring Colin Bateman, Stuart Neville, Sharon Dempsey, Gerard Brennan, Kelly Creighton and James Murphy. Curated and edited by Simon Maltman, with one of his own new stories included.

This collection was inspired by local artists including The Undertones, Van Morrison, Ash, Snow Patrol, Therapy? and more.

Thoughts on Alternative Ulster Noir

I love a good short story, and this was seven of them packed into one book, so it was perfect for me. I had a week of short stories to get my mornings started over coffee! I read Alternative Ulster Noir in the mornings, and Murder from the Newsdesk in the evenings before bed. Both vastly different books, and I loved it.

All of the stories within Alternative Ulster Noir are based on songs, and all by different authors. So the variety found within these pages was perfect for me. Sometimes reading multiple stories by the same author can become monotonous.

Final Thoughts on Alternative Ulster Noir

I am a huge fan of short stories to both start and end my day, and these are a neat selection for just that purpose. It is much healthier than scrolling mindlessly through social media, and I’ve come to appreciate this habit each day. I always look forward to waking up and starting a new story each morning.

If you are looking for a great simple short story to spend fifteen minutes of your day reading, Alternative Ulster Noir is a great collection to try!

Discussion

Have you read Alternative Ulster Noir? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

About the Author

Kelly Creighton is the author of two standalone crime novels,two short fiction collections, and the DI Harriet Sloane series set in East Belfast. Kelly lives with her family in County Down, where she facilitates creative writing classes and teaches English as a Foreign Language.

Colin Bateman is essentially the Godfather of NI crime fiction. An acclaimed novelist and screenwriter, his many credits include, Divorcing Jack, Mystery Man, Murphy’s Law and The Journey. Colin’s films have been shown at festivals in Venice and Toronto and he is a recipient of a Doctor of Letters from The University of Ulster for services to literature.

James Murphy is a Northern Irish crime writer. His works include the ‘Terror Trilogy,’ and he is currently working on a new series. James is also a podcast host and the radio presenter for Crime Scene on Belfast 247. James teaches crime writing workshops and is a teacher tutor with Edge Hill University and he is a former school principal.

Sharon Dempsey is a Belfast based crime writer. The first in her new crime series, ‘Who Took Eden Mulligan?’ was published in 2021, by Avon Harper Collins. The second book in the series, ‘The Midnight Killing,’ was published on 17th Feb 2022. Sharon is undertaking a creative-critical PHD at Queen’s University, with reference to class and gender in crime fiction. She has published five novels and three non-fiction books.

Gerard Brennan is the author of novels, novellas and short stories. A Spinetingler Award winner, he has released through a variety of publishers, including being the first author published by No Alibis Press. Gerard is also a musician, received an MA and PhD in creative writing from Queens University, and is a crime fiction focussed creative writing tutor.

Simon Maltman is the author of crime fiction novels, novellas and short stories. He is also a reviewer, musician and the lead guide for the crime tour, Belfast Noir. An established ‘Ulster Noir’ author, he also writes American-set high concept thrillers. His next book is titled, The Wolf Is At Your Door.

Stuart Neville is the New York Times Bestseller of novels and short stories. An LA Times Book Prize winner, he authors series and standalone thrillers under both his own name and that of Haylen Beck. Stuart recently played Glastonbury Festival with his band, The Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers.

Alternative Ulster Noir author Simon Maltman

Purchasing Alternative Ulster Noir

If you are interested in buying the paperback version of Alternative Ulster Noir, click here.

Click here for the Kindle version.

Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

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Alternative Ulster Noir

Nathan’s Corner – The Reading Wife

Treacherous Hack

Treacherous Hack

About Treacherous Hack

Treacherous Hack Genres

Thoughts on Treacherous Hack

Final Thoughts on Treacherous Hack

Discussion

About the Author

Purchasing Treacherous Hack

More from Kevin G. Chapman

Mike Stoneman Series

Standalone Novels

Short Stories

Author Interview

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Double Takedown

Double Takedown

About Double Takedown

Double Takedown Genres

Thoughts on Double Takedown

Final Thoughts on Double Takedown

Discussion

About the Author

Purchasing Double Takedown

More from Kevin G. Chapman

Mike Stoneman Series

Standalone Novels

Short Stories

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The Return of the King

The Return of the King

About The Return of the King

Thoughts on The Return of the King

From Nathan

Final Thoughts on The Return of the King

Discussion

About the Author

Purchasing The Return of the King

More From J.R.R. Tolkien

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The Two Towers

The Two Towers

About The Two Towers

Thoughts on The Two Towers

From Nathan

Final Thoughts on The Two Towers

Discussion

About the Author

Purchasing The Two Towers

More From J.R.R. Tolkien

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The Fellowship of the Ring

The Fellowship of the Ring

About The Fellowship of the Ring

Thoughts on The Fellowship of the Ring

From Nathan

Final Thoughts on The Fellowship of the Ring

Discussion

About the Author

Purchasing The Fellowship of the Ring

More From J.R.R. Tolkien

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

About Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Thoughts on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Final Thoughts on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Discussion

About the Author

Purchasing Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

More From J.K. Rowling

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

About Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Thoughts on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Final Thoughts on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Discussion

About the Author